Scope

Projects get started for various different reasons--and with varying levels of understanding. The scope is one of the most important items to settle on as soon as possible at the beginning of the project.

What is it that makes a megaproject more than just an ordinary one on steroids? Certainly the challenges that megaprojects create make exceptional demands on project management expertise. But what are those challenges? And in what ways does expertise respond to those exceptional demands? A close look at a couple of examples--one ancient and one modern--might help us understand how megaprojects have responded to those questions.

The project scope statement details the project deliverables and describes its major objectives. Use this template to help compose a thorough statement that keeps all of your PMs and stakeholders informed.

One of the hardest parts of leading a project is keeping the scope controlled. It may not make you any friends to practice good scope management, but it will help the projects stay successful. Take a step back and make sure you know the basics of when, where, what and how to manage the scope on a project.

Business case and project charter confusion is not uncommon. They both have integral roles in the initiation of a new idea--but they should not be used interchangeably. At the end of day, the project sponsor is accountable for success--and is responsible for ensuring recommendations are held up by a sound business case.

No one is positioned to view the big picture like a program’s executive sponsor. Programs vary widely, but they share many characteristics. Understanding these commonalities and how to address them effectively is the key to an initiative’s success. This paper offers six critical elements of which program executive sponsors should be aware and ready to manage.

It’s time to continue working on self-improvement. This fourth article in a series exploring A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide)—Fifth Edition through a lighthearted comparison to personal fitness improvement explores the Project Scope Management knowledge area.

Project issues and risks, like zombies, move relatively slowly. It’s extremely rare that a project manager will be introduced to a project one day and be overwhelmed by the same failed project the next. Therefore, like survivors of a zombie apocalypse, project managers have time to prepare--and to look for those indications that projects are turning...

The most significant challenge for any project manager is when projects shift modes. The shift from startup to execution, and the shift from execution to closeout, requires a change in mindset. Each shift needs the PM to adjust their focus and emphasis--and a corresponding change to how they deal with people.

Everyone loves a good project management horror story--especially ones where the writing was on the wall and failure so very predictable. With the season in mind, here are one expert's all-time favorites. Can we learn from these blunders?

Using a step-by-step approach to budgeting will make your life easier in the long run, allow you to accurately answer any questions about project expenditures, make much more accurate future cost estimates for similar projects and generally give you more control over the project. Here's some help.

This checklist will assist you in minimizing scope creep, schedule extensions and project failure by evaluating whether the initial requirements are complete. This series of requirements attributes, quality checks, and examples provide a thorough review of what you plan to do.

The change request form should be used to formally initiate a request for change to a project. Types of change requests you can initiate by using this form include changes to scope, timeframes, deliverables, resources, milestones and expenditures.

Change is bound to happen. Make sure that you handle it correctly by following the proper procedures. This form will help you cover all your bases so change doesn't have to mean big surprises or project disasters.

The statement of work (SOW) encompasses the goals, scope, deliverables, cost and schedule estimates, stakeholder roles, chain of command and communication guidelines for a project. Learn how to put a quality SOW together by studying its components.

This procedure describes the process of testing software code or products by the test team. It documents the procedure for the entire testing cycle: generating test plans, scheduling tests, conducting tests and reporting test results. This procedure applies to new development, as well as major and minor releases, including customized solutions delivered to customers.

This tool is designed to create service level agreement information for a justification or similar document. It is most useful for IT organizations that are too small to have a Project Management Office, but can use better control over linking project service level agreements with business objectives.

This document outlines the Business Scope, which is a description of the area of the business to be supported by the application package, including the specific business activities to be supported, the business objects to be managed and the organizations and sites to be supported.

Who's on first? What's on second? Don't know who's on third? When it comes to your project, you need to have this information at your fingertips. Use our definition of a project status report to make sure your team members provide the right information to the project manager.